Lotus E21 Renault

bhall · Post 20 Mar 2013, 19:56

kilcoo316 wrote:
bhallg2k wrote:I'll explain it a bit better, because I believe they do, in fact, "stall" the diffuser.
I think that has been discussed at length in the past on here.

Its something else we disagree on!

We should start a tally! The real aerodynamicist vs. the eyeball aerodynamicst.

(For those who haven't guessed, I'm the latter.)

I'm interested in why you believe the tunnels won't choke, though. How can they move a steady stream of air at all speeds when the inlets are about 20 times larger than the vents?

Gridlock · Post 20 Mar 2013, 20:39

Neno wrote:
Rikhart wrote:This BS about the "sparks" needs to stop, they were doing that all of last year as well. It´s nothing new, but since they won in dominant fashion, everyone is looking for "the secret".
i multiple time said same thing, but on mercedes topic after their good winter testing, now i am already myself bored repeating same thing. I'm glad I'm not not alone =D> Well said =D>

If you don't think doing something no other car does and winning the race through an exceptional ability (tyre management) is irrelevant then fair enough, but it leaves your understanding of the scientific method open to questioning.

Correlation doesn't imply causation but if you have a better hypothesis to test then wheel it on out.

stefan_ · Post 20 Mar 2013, 22:19

On the grid in AUSTRALIA

henra · Post 20 Mar 2013, 22:55

bhallg2k wrote: I'm interested in why you believe the tunnels won't choke, though. How can they move a steady stream of air at all speeds when the inlets are about 20 times larger than the vents?

I'm not kilcoo, but allow myself an attempt of answering that question:

There is choking and 'choking'.

The choking @kilcoo refers to would cause actually less airflow to go through the tunnel above a certain speed due to shock wave blocking. That won't happen at deep subsonic speeds.
And then there is the 'choking' in the figurative sense (That is the one you are referring to). That simply means that above a certain speed the drag (due to more and more turbulent flow) through the tunnel will mean that the speed and mass flow of the air through the tunnel will not increase much further despite the car going faster. Still it will move a (little) bit faster, so it is not really choking. It just appears to choke.

bhall · Post 20 Mar 2013, 23:56

Fair enough. Thanks, henra.

EDIT: I'm not sure how that changes my idea about diffuser "stalling," though. If the blown starter motor hole serves to keep airflow attached to the center section of the diffuser, wouldn't a reduction in its velocity relative to airflow under the car still cause separation?

henra · Post 21 Mar 2013, 00:28

bhallg2k wrote: EDIT: I'm not sure how that changes my idea about diffuser "stalling," though. If the blown starter motor hole serves to keep airflow attached to the center section of the diffuser, wouldn't a reduction in its velocity relative to airflow under the car still cause separation?

Would? I'm not sure.
Could? potentially yes.

abw · Post 21 Mar 2013, 00:55

stefan_ wrote:Malaysia 2013 - Wednesday (20.03.2013)

http://img4.auto-motor-und-sport.de/Lot ... 670701.jpg

Has anyone been able to confirm/deny whether the E21 splitter is a sneaky aero-tube of some sort? It looks like it has a sensor wire (or zip-tie?) hanging out in this photo.

Nothing more to see, or worth further study?

zonk · Post 21 Mar 2013, 01:14

MarkedOne8 · Post 21 Mar 2013, 02:32

That tube is too thick (fat) for just one wire. We've stopped talking about that because we have lack of images of that part. Well, we actually don't need images for that. I mean, that is tube for sure. I think it gets the air from somewhere on front. Then that air goes into floor. Where and how that air travels?I really don't know.

wesley123 · Post 21 Mar 2013, 02:36

MarkedOne8 wrote:That tube is too thick (fat) for just one wire. We've stopped talking about that because we have lack of images of that part. Well, we actually don't need images for that. I mean, that is tube for sure. I think it gets the air from somewhere on front. Then that air goes into floor. Where and how that air travels?I really don't know.

That tube is for sure? All I am seeing is a carbon structure with some metal part sticking out of it, which in no way looks like a tube, also I am seeing a wire sticking out of it.

abw · Post 21 Mar 2013, 03:59

Posted in this thread on Feb 6 by Matt Somers--another picture of this bib/splitter/tea-tray "support" device.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BCc7bLzCYAI33sA.jpg:large

Overdesigned strut?
Ordinary, but shapely strut?
Testing sensor?
Moving air from nose to floor? If so, exit point?
Reference pressure for "fluidic switch?"
Something even more exotic/crazy?
MacGuffin?

MarkedOne8 · Post 21 Mar 2013, 08:58

wesley123 wrote:That tube is for sure? All I am seeing is a carbon structure with some metal part sticking out of it, which in no way looks like a tube, also I am seeing a wire sticking out of it.

That "metal structure"... how would you describe the shape of that metal structure? Maybe I shouldn't have called it a "tube", but its shape is obvious - it is cylindrical, just like most of the tubes.
Why would you put there so thick tube which would create unnecessary drag and turbulence for just housing one wire or small sensor?

Here are the renders of my quick 3D model representing my imagination/visualisation of that splitter thing (tube).